Acknowledgements and Apologies to Heal Many Souls

This page is dedicated to those who have realized that the time has come, for them, to apologise for the wrongs of the past, those of past generations or the wrongs that they themselves have perpetuated against others.
To some it may seem as if the apologists have no right, or reason, to make such widespread apologies... yet it is that very humble acknowldgement of responsibility for unfair and unjust actions, that make the apologies even sweeter to their victims and their descendants.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Healing the dead?

Is it possible to heal the dead?

This is a concept that is foreign to individualistic communities but very close to the heart of communalistic societies.

Here is a wonderful article from Zimbabwe that will bring more understanding of "Apologising for the past."

Friday, March 31, 2006

In as much as apologies are normally better for the soul of the perpetrator than that of the victim, there comes a time when the victim needs to take ownership for their own emotional state.

We have been fortunate in our lifetime to be blessed by the work of Gary Craig. Founder of EFT (the Emotional Freedom technique), Gary has developed simple, swift and easy ways to reduce trauma, tension, emotional challenges, hate and even physical challenges by dissipating the energy that has been applied to these issues.

People who feel hated or victimised, have issues that they can easily deal with. Or they can contact Brian Moore for a consultation. Or find an EFT Therapist in their area.

Monday, May 02, 2005

NNP apologises as it disbands.. Mail and Guardian

The party that introduced apartheid and enforced racial segregation in South Africa for nearly 50 years disbanded and apologised for its racist policies on Sunday, after an attempt to reinvent itself failed.

The New National Party, renamed from the National Party in 1997, voted itself out of existence after several electoral defeats. The once mighty and arrogant party ended its days with an apology for its apartheid policies.

"The National party brought development to a section of South Africa, but also brought suffering through a system grounded on injustice," its former leader, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, told the party's federal council on Saturday, while putting forward a motion to disband.

The move passed by a margin of 88 in favour, two against and three abstentions. The meeting was of the NNP members who joined the African National Congress (ANC) when the two parties merged last year. Now they will simply be members of the ANC."

No party ... could hope to successfully atone and move ahead in the same vehicle," said Van Schalkwyk, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister in President Thabo Mbeki's Cabinet.

He said that by dissolving, the party was throwing off the yoke of history and contributing to finally ending the "division of the South African soul".

Friday, April 29, 2005

Healing the Soul of Africa.

A letter to the many people of Africa and South Africa who suffer, or who have suffered, as result of the legacies of the past.

During our workplace diversity training programmes we often come across people who are in pain over matters that happened in the past. Not only the recent past, many people are still affected by events that harmed their ancestors. This pain can be healed but often group belief systems stand in the way of peace.

Africa has a history of incredible harsh acts, programmes and policies by various groups targeting other groups. The British against the Afrikaner. The British against African and Indian communities. African versus Eastern South Africans. The "whites" against the "blacks." The Afrikaner versus the "coloured", "Indian" and "blacks." Clan against clan. One political group against another. There have been far too many to mention.These events caused a deep-rooted legacy of anger which will not be cleared until the "descendants" lay down the past through apology and forgiveness.

There is a fairly commonly held belief amongst the more traditional African cultures that one's well-being and good fortune is dependent on the well-being of one's ancestors.

Should an ancestor still be in pain because of a past injustice his living descendants will suffer. The only way that life can be lived normally is if there is an apology from the "descendants" of the original perpetrators and if that apology is accepted. At this point the living can move on and their lives will become far better.

Thus the apology by the British government to the descendants of a Zulu King, who was buried in manacles and recently exhumed and re-buried a "free" man, has healed the spirits and souls of many South Africans.

In the Northern Province we came across a young Bapedi man who could not look at any "white" person without feeling aggrieved. He was a young boy when he was caught up in the 1976 Soweto riots, where apartheid forces shot at and killed friends, relatives and neighbours. He watched many people die and still lived with the anger. Two "white" people apologized to him and his relief was visible and immediate.

Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe continuously brings up the terrible British colonial past. He uses his anger and that of his people to build the deep-rooted hatred of the "whites." That Britain is no longer a "colonial" force is irrelevant. The damage has been done and the healing path has not been walked.

Tony Blair and his nation stand now on a "moral" high ground - founded upon centuries of injustice and domination. The result of the injustices will not go away without any action. If the British, through their leaders and Monarch, apologise there could be an immediate reduction in tension.Yes, it is time for us to lay down our past, but not in the Western way of "let bye-gones be bye-gones."

If we believe that past events were unacceptable and that we can heal the hearts and souls of our fellow humans, we must take the time to publicly apologise for the actions of our ancestors. In order to do so we must accept that even if it was not directly "my" or "your" ancestors who are responsible, in the eyes of those aggrieved, we represent the people/ ancestors who are.

Everyone, including the British government, PW Botha, the "descendants" of those who acted badly in any nasty or violent acts can heal our people/ continent through apologies. In so doing we will have a chance of a brilliant future together.

In closing, we the undersigned, unconditionally apologise to the people of Africa for any pain that I, or my ancestors, have inflicted upon them or their ancestors.

We ask them for forgiveness and wish that they are healed with time and that we can find a way to be humans together for a better World.

About Me

Celebrating Humanity Founders - Arthie and Brian V Moore. Multi-lingual and culturally experienced facilitators of positive change through Celebrating Humanity Diversity Training, Transformational Team Building and Team conflict resolution programs. Additionally Brian is an author, and an EFT and permaculture specialist, whilst Arthie is a highly inspirational leader of the Just Coz Campaign.